Before Dawn
by Pandora-chan
Summary: ExT, AU. Retelling of the famous opera Turandot. Eriol is caught up in a deadly game to win the heart and hand of the Empress's daughter. [COMPLETE]
1. Prelude

**Before Dawn**

_Pandora-chan's retelling of the famous Opera, "Turandot", CCS style._

**Pairings: **ExT, one-sided K+E (mentions of Y+R, S+S, F+N)

**Contains: **Angst, romance, blatantly obvious pieces taken from the Opera, some OOCness.

**A/N: **This, being my second attempt at an ExT-central fic, is something I discovered I really wanted to do, despite the fact that some of the characters were a little odd or bloodthirsty, as it is. So that is the reason for my re-creation of the Opera's original characters and plot to fit my own desires. Cool? Cool. (And, yes, I am aware that the Opera is set in China, not Japan. Ssssh.)

Also, this is set in a pseudo-feudal Japan, because I am no expert on feudal Japan and undoubtedly have littered this fic with mistakes.

o0o0o

**Prelude**

_The little girl ran down the steps of the palace, skirts raised, feet bare, holding her breath as if it would help her travel even more silently. The moment her feet hit the soft grass she scurried over to the tall stone monument in front of the pagoda. Releasing her breath, she peered over the top of the fox's head, made sure she hadn't been seen, and then hiked up her skirts again to sprint towards the bamboo forest._

_By the time she reached the end of the windy, narrow path they had formed in the bamboo forest, her feet were scratched and filthy, and her ebony hair falling out of the plaits that the ladies-in-waiting had spent so long doing only hours before. Breathless, she stopped in front of a small cottage and called out._

_"Hekigan-kun, hayaku!"_

_A blue-eyed, dark haired boy ran out of the small wooden building and waved to her. "Ohayo, hime!" He stopped in front of her, not caring of the condition her royal clothes were in, only seeing her sparkling eyes and the leaves in her hair. He grinned. "Ne, you have a crown of leaves."_

_Ignoring the comment, she grabbed his hand and lifted her skirts again to drag him back down the bamboo path, taking another route to get to their hiding place. He stumbled after her, astounded at how she managed to carry herself with more grace and speed than him while she was in skirts and bare feet. Reaching their destination, they scrambled under the bush. They had discovered it a few months before – a funny looking bush that grew in a mound like shape on the ground, but was nearly completely hollow underneath. Ever since, it had been their hideout._

_Opening the metal chest the boy had dragged there one day, the little princess pulled out a blanket, which she arranged and sat down on. The boy sat next to her silently, and fingered the tear in his shirt idly._

_Reaching into her dress, she pulled out a small parcel and unwrapped it to reveal rice cakes. "Here," she offered her friend. He shook his head._

_"Hekigan-kun, what is wrong?" the girl asked, frowning._

_He looked at her sadly. "Tou-san says I have to go live with my relatives now. He says I am getting too old, and I need to be educated."_

_He couldn't bear seeing the tears form in the princess' eyes. "Demo… that's not fair! We only just became friends! Who will you play with? Who will listen to me sing and show me fun things to do. You promised to teach me how to climb trees, Hekigan! You can't go!" Tears rolling down her face she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder._

_"Gomen ne, Hime, but I have no choice. I don't want to go either!"_

_Wiping her eyes, she drew back, sniffing. "Will… will you ever come back?"_

_The boy nodded. "Tou-san said that I can come back eventually, but I don't know how long it will be until I do. And…"_

_Wide purple eyes looked at him sadly._

_"… ne, hime, will you still remember me when I return? It could be years and years! I could be old!"_

_"Of course! I could never forget you, Hekigan! I promise, no matter how long it takes, that when you return I'll still be your friend."_

_The boy smiled hopefully. "I promise too! Pinky swear?"_

_Smiling in return, the girl took the offered finger and nodded. "Pinky swear."_

_Taking a cloth from his pocket, he wiped the tears that still streamed down her cheeks. "Hime, please don't cry. I promise I'll come back."_

_"O-okay…" she said softly. "I just… ne, Hekigan, onegai… I don't know your real name… could you tell me, before you go?"_

_The boy smiled._

o0o0o

Hekigan – Blue-eyes (to my knowledge, anyway)

Hayaku – Hurry up

Hime – rather than calling her Tomoyo, which seemed a little inappropriate, Eriol calls her "princess" instead… So I hope I got it right.

This chapter is completely original, as is the friendship created between the characters. Like I said, I am re-writing 'Turnadot' my way! Hope you like it so far, and please review! puppy eyes

(I will post the actual plotline after the fic.)


	2. Act I: Dusk

**Before Dawn**

_Pandora-chan's retelling of the famous Opera, "Turandot", CCS style._

**Pairings:**ExT, one-sided K+E (mentions of Y+R, S+S, F+N)

**Contains: **Angst, romance, blatantly obvious pieces taken from the Opera, some OOCness.

_Set in a pseudo-feudal Japan, because I am no expert on feudal Japan and undoubtedly have littered this fic with mistakes._

0o

o0o0o

0o

**Act I: **_Dusk_

The foreign Prince halted his horse briefly as before he descended the hill, his long dark hair falling out of his tail and around his face. Below him, sprawled across the immense valley towards the mountains, was the city he had travelled so far to see again. It had grown immensely in the eleven years since he'd been gone. Now he was eighteen, and returning to find news of his father who had lost contact with his brother years before. Returning to the place that held most of his fondest memories.

And _her._

He found himself lost in the past again too easily.

---

"_What happened to your mother, Hekigan?"_

_The boy looked down. "She died, shortly after I was born. Tou-san had to raise me."_

_The little princess' face fell, guilt written all over her face. "Oh, gomen nasai!"_

_He smiled and shook his head. "Don't be, hime. I don't mind talking about her. Honest."_

"_Well… do you know what she was like?" the girl asked brightly._

"_Tou-san says she was very beautiful, and very mischievous, and loved ordering him around. But he says he enjoyed it," the boy added upon seeing the look on his friend's face. "He said she would go from serious to cheeky within seconds, and that she was a complete mystery to him. He also says she would tease him all the time..." the boy looked a little confused. "I never understand why, but he always goes pink when he says that."_

_The princess shrugged. "I wonder why. She sounds wonderful though."_

_Nodding in agreement, the boy smiled. "I wish I could have known her."_

"_Do you look much like her?"_

_The boy shook his head. "Iie. I look almost exactly like tou-san. Though he says I have her smile, and bits of her personality."_

"_Oh. Well, we are similar then, aren't we?" the little girl smiled. "We both have one parent, and we both look like our fathers."_

"_Except you're royalty, I'm not."_

_The princess giggled. "That's not true! You are the Prince of the bamboo forest!"_

_Both the children laughed at that._

_---_

Eriol smiled to himself. _Only… I _am _royalty. I just never knew it, _he thought. Upon meeting his extended family, he became aware of their rather… lavish surroundings and immediately demanded to know why his father lived in a shack. They had gladly informed him of his father's purpose in this grand city, and how it had been his own choice. Eriol had never been very impressed with their explanation, but was given no choice but to accept it.

And now, here he was, returning and determined to bring his father back to hid rightful kingdom. Taking a deep breath, he rode down the hill towards the city, unaware of what awaited him.

0o

o0o0o

0o

The drums sounded loudly, repeatedly, as the prince led his horse into the city. Crowds of people were gathered around, whispering to themselves, some casting fearful looks at the raised platform and others to the palace itself. Prince Eriol frowned, leading his horse through the teeming plaza. _Something isn't right. This isn't a festival, or a joyful gathering, _he pondered. _What is going on?_

He caught the faces of one particular group of people, most with solemn looks on their faces, and even some sobbing quietly. Concerned, he turned to a nearby citizen for answers.

"Excuse me sir, could you please tell me… what is going on?"

The gruff man, who wore rather stained clothes and bore the appearance of a farmer, shook his head and waved the Prince off, refusing to comment. A little offended, the Prince turned away, reminding himself that he _wasn't_ in his royal robes for good reason. Sighing, he was about to ask someone else when a deep voice rang out over the quarter, causing heads to turn. Looking up, Eriol saw a man on the platform, dressed in robes befitting a royal advisor. His hair was short and dark brown, and wore a grave expression. But it was what he said that had the biggest impact on the foreign Prince.

"By order of the Empress Sonomi, the Persian Prince, latest suitor for the Princess Tomoyo, will be executed at the rise of the moon for failing to answer the three riddles which he must answer to win her hand."

Eriol's eyes widened, and his stomach twisted in horror. '_No…'_

The crowd turned to face the palace steps, and drew back to create a path to the platform and let the executioner pass. In the crush backwards, Eriol heard a woman cry out for help. Immediately distracted, he searched the mass of bodies and saw a flash of red hair and pale skin. His blood chilled. '_Could it be…?'_

He pushed through the crowd quickly, abandoning his horse. His fears were confirmed as he approached the young woman, kneeling amongst the crowd with a slightly injured man in her arms. The man had obviously been knocked over as the crowd had receded. Execution momentarily forgotten, Eriol rushed to his father's side.

"Tou-san! Daijoubu?"

At the sound of his son's voice, matured and rich in his native accent, Clow opened his eyes. Peering down at him in concern was his only son, whose hair he had allowed to grow long like his fathers, and whose piercing eyes were framed in scholar's spectacles. Beside him, face full shock and delight, Kaho gazed at the young man with a soft smile beginning to grace her features.

"Eriol… when did you get back?" Clow struggled to rise, but was immediately aided on both sides. He felt a surge of pride when he felt his son's strength.

"Just before sunset. I was going to look for you when I got caught up in this…" he waved at the surrounding crowds as the drums got louder. "What is going on? What happened here, tou-san?"

Clow sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. "I wish I knew how to stop it," he sighed, then winced and touched his forehead gingerly, relieved there was no blood but not looking forward to a bruise nonetheless.

Kaho touched his arm in concern. "Master? Are you injured badly?"

Smiling at her reassuringly, Clow waved her off. "Oh, I'm not made of glass. I'll be fine, just a bit bruised." She looked relieved, but still a little wary.

He turned back to his son to speak again. "Eriol, what made you return? Didn't I tell you in my last letter not to come back?"

"Yes, but then your last letter was around my fifteenth birthday."

Clow blinked. "And?"

"I'm nineteen now, tou-san," Eriol rolled his eyes. "Fujitaka was worried something had happened, we hadn't heard from you in so long!"

Kaho looked down. Clow sighed. Eriol frowned. "What is going on? Why are men getting executed?"

"Eriol…" Kaho began. "It's the Empress. She's…"

"Gone mad," Clow stated, matching his son's frown. "She's a little possessive of her daughter. I assume it's a backlash from the incident with my brother and Nadeshiko, but she seems rather determined to deny any suitor the honour of her daughter's hand. Never been too keen on men that lady."

Kaho sighed and brushed her hair out of her face sadly. "All those poor men."

Eriol was about to speak again when a loud BOOM rang out, echoing off all the buildings and walls surrounding the plaza. The man's voice rang out again. "The moon has risen! By order of the Empress, I call forward the Persian Prince to execution!"

Drawing in a breath, Eriol turned his head and watched as the unfortunate suitor was led down the path by the guards. Behind them were three young women, maybe his age or younger, dressed in lavish robes. But it was who followed that caught the young Prince's attention more than anything else around him. The Empress Sonomi, dressed in all her finery, walked with her head high and a severe expression on her face…

… And she accompanied her daughter. The pale skinned, raven haired beauty he had known so many long years ago. She too wore ceremonial dress, and the moonlight danced over her, making her a goddess. But the expression on her face was horrifying. It was completely devoid of any emotion. He saw none of the breathless smiles or childish grins he had once adored - the light in her eyes was gone.

He knew in an instant what had happened.

A group of bloodthirsty citizens began to cry for blood, much to the horror of the Prince. In the tumult, others cried out pleas to the Empress, even to the Princess, to stop this horror. To spare the poor man's life. A familiar voice amongst the voices told Eriol that Kaho was one of them.

But his eyes refused to leave Tomoyo's face. Her unfazed look tore him up inside, making him also marvel at the fact that after eleven years, his love for her hadn't wavered.

Next to him, his father noticed this, and fear etched itself into his face.

The suitor was at the platform, on his knees, his head lowered. The Empress had halted her procession a safe distance from the execution, but within good view. Eriol silently pleaded with Tomoyo to look away, but without success.

He didn't have to look to know when the blow was struck. The mixed reaction of gasps, sobs and cheers throughout the crowd along with Kaho's head buried in his shoulder was enough.

He didn't realise what he was doing, that he already had a plan, until he was halfway there. Leaving behind a confused Kaho and panicking Clow, he found himself standing before the gong within minutes. The crowd was already clearing when he lifted the hammer. The Empress was already leading the procession back towards the palace. He knew what to do. He knew how to save her.

His original intentions were forgotten with the rise of moon.

He raised the hammer, ready to strike, and turned to the procession. Taking a breath, he ignored the panic of his father and his servant below him, and he called out.

"TOMOYO-HIME!"

He struck the gong.

0o

o0o0o

0o

Hekigan – Blue-eyes (to my knowledge, anyway) 

Hime – rather than calling her Tomoyo, which seemed a little inappropriate, Eriol calls her "princess" instead… So I hope I got it right.

_A bit of a plot murder in here, but hey. (shrug) Yes, I decided to make Eriol's hair longer. Deal, I think it'd suit him._

_Oh, and brownie points to whoever can figure out the identity of his mother, hee hee. _

_Thanks to **tsubame7**, **x0kAwAiix0 **and **cristal-shian** for your reviews! You rule. _

_(gestures to the review button) All I need is a small comment to make me happy, and you'll be mentioned!_


	3. Act II: Midnight

Before Dawn

_Pandora-chan's retelling of the famous Opera, "Turandot", CCS style._

**Pairings:**ExT, one-sided K+E (mentions of Y+R, S+S, F+N)

**Contains: **Angst, romance, blatantly obvious pieces taken from the Opera, some OOCness.

Set in a pseudo-feudal Japan, because I am no expert on feudal Japan and undoubtedly have littered this fic with mistakes.

o0o0o

**Act II: **_Midnight_

Yoshiyuki froze at the sound of the gong. _Oh, kami, not again._

He turned his head to look at his Empress, but her face was fixed on the figure who stood behind them, a stones throw away. The procession was halted. The night was still, and grew silent as the gongs ring diminished. Time stood still for the moment, until…

"Yoshiyuki," the Empress spoke coldly to her advisor, her eyes still on the newcomer. "Make it official, then bring him into the Palace. I will not put up with another suitor any longer than I must."

The soft muffled sobs and gasps of the ladies-in-waiting could be heard at that moment, and the breeze picked up again, as if time released its breath. Crickets began to chirp. Murmurs ran through the remaining crowd.

Knowing it would be useless to plea to the Empress for mercy, the man sighed inwardly and walked towards the gong, mentally steeling himself for another execution.

Minutes later, his loud voice rang over the city proclaiming the arrival of another suitor, who would be tested tonight.

o0o0o

The young woman sobbed into her master's shoulder as he led her back to the small cottage.

"How could he? What is he thinking? He's dead, for sure… we have to get him out of this!" She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her kimono and brushed her red hair back from her eyes. "Clow, why aren't you going after him? He's your _son_!"

The man sighed as he looked at her, his long strands of hair falling around his face. "He feels he has to do this, Kaho. I cannot stop him, even though I want to."

"But why?"

Small smile. "You never noticed did you?" Clow asked opening the hut door.

"Noticed what?"

Clow lit the lantern and placed it on the mat, motioning for her to sit before joining her, offering a cup of water. "Clow? What is going on?"

Pressing his fingertips together, the man began. "You remember when he was young, he would often run off into the bamboo forest and not return for hours on end? He would never tell us why, and we never questioned him on it. He was a child, and he helped me often enough that I didn't mind if he played sometimes…"

Kaho nodded, fidgeting with her hem in distress. Clow continued. "He kept his secret remarkably well, but he never knew that I discovered it. I came across it one day when I was taking the garden clippings to the forest." Pausing for a moment, the man turned and looked at the young woman in front of him. "I'm not sure how it happened. Like I said, I never mentioned it to him, so he never explained it to me, but…"

"What is it, Clow? What's going on?"

"Eriol was friends with the princess, Kaho." Her eyes widened at this. "I don't know how long for, but they had been around each other for a while, it appeared. I doubt even the Empress knew about her daughter's escapades into the forest.

"You see, even though I was happy he had a friend, and I didn't mind their friendship myself, I saw the danger in it. _That's_ why I sent him to Fujitaka, Kaho. To stop the Empress from discovering him. I was afraid of what she'd do to him, to all of us, if she discovered who we were."

"But I don't understand… you felt fear for his life back then and you don't now?"

"Oh, no, I fear for him greatly… but I also know my son. I can't stop him. I can't blame him for wanting to try – he cares about her," Clow said the last part softly, carefully, knowing how much it would hurt Kaho to hear it.

Tears welled up in her eyes as he said this. She took a long swallow of the water, and then forced a look of grim determination back on her face. "If neither of us can watch, then… we can only pray he succeeds, I suppose."

The older man watched her sympathetically, but said nothing, only nodding as he joined her in staring into the lantern flame. _Let it be time for old grudges to be laid to rest… Kami, please… let him succeed._

o0o0o

Sonomi surveyed the throne room, her daughter seated silently beside her, staring blankly out into the sea of faces. Many had showed up to hear this new suitor attempt – more so than the last Prince. Her face hardened even more as her eyes came to rest on this foreigner. He was handsome, she couldn't deny it. Young, too. Dark hair and eyes, pale skin. And he was incredibly self-assured, as he was staring straight back at her, a hint of a smirk on his face.

She would enjoy watching this one's demise.

Her advisor walked up to her, kneeling before her briefly before rising. "Empress, please, we implore you-"

She stood, raising her hand to silence him, and causing the entire room to kneel before her. "I will not change my mind, Yoshiyuki. Do not attempt to sway my decisions again."

He bowed again, apologising profusely before standing beside her throne. Walking forward, she exited the canopy and stood at the top of the dais, but not before catching the glance her advisor sent in the direction of one of her daughter's ladies-in-waiting. Narrowing her eyes, she made a mental note to take care of that problem later. Facing the crowd, she spoke.

"Years ago, before my daughter was born, when my Grandfather still ruled this kingdom and I was still a child, there was an invasion. This war was won for our people, but resulted in the death of my parents and my Uncle and Aunt, and left my Grandfather badly wounded. My cousin Nadeshiko and I survived this invasion without injury, and were brought up together." A flicker of sadness in her eyes. "She was a sister and best friend…"

The Empress's eyes hardened and her face turned severe. "But then she was taken from us, kidnapped by foreigners who had invaded out kingdom in the guise of royalty. Kidnapped, and surely dead. No ransom was ever offered, no news was ever received after her disappearance. This tragedy was the cause for my Grandfather's sudden demise, leaving none but me for the throne.

"Forced to marry to rule properly, I married a man who I believed could help me. I bore him a daughter some years later. But he too let me down. He ran off with another woman while I was still pregnant."

There was fire in her eyes now. "And so all men who dare cross me are condemned. I rule alone. And any suitor who seeks to possess my daughter will have to prove themselves worthy first. I will not tolerate less."

The crowd were silent, reminded of their kingdom's repeated tragedies.

Yoshiyuki stepped forward. "The Empress Sonomi calls forth the suitor who seeks her daughter's hand. May he rise for the test."

The dark haired foreigner rose from his bow and looked at the Empress again. She gave him a cold smile, then spoke. "Three riddles, I will ask of you. Answer them correctly, and you have my blessing to wed my daughter. Fail in this task, and you shall be immediately executed. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, Empress," he said, his eyes never once leaving her face.

"Then let us begin. What is born each night and dies each dawn?"

The stranger's gaze was unwavering. "Hope."

The Empress was unnerved as she replied, "Correct. What flickers red and warm like a flame, yet is not fire?"

He was silent a moment, and she almost tasted the triumph when he replied, "Blood."

She blinked, and felt an unfamiliar feeling seep into her skin as she replied, "Correct…"

Calming her nerves, she prepared to ask the final question. "What is like ice but burns?"

She watched him, and fear flooded her as a strange smile spread across his face. The silence was deafening. When it seemed that his smile could not get any wider, he finally broke his gaze and looked at her daughter, then spoke.

"Tomoyo-hime,"

o0o0o

_No… no… this is not happening,_ she thought. Yoshiyuki had proclaimed the stranger's success. The crowds were cheering, giving cries of thanks to the heavens for this blessing. Many citizens had already left the Palace to spread the good news.

The prince turned his gaze from her daughter, back to the Empress herself, a triumphant smile on his face. The Empress felt her anger diminish and replace itself with distress. She was losing her daughter to this man. This Prince would take her away to… to…

She froze. _Wait… _

"STOP!" she cried. The crowd immediately fell quiet and her echo was faintly heard in the farthest stretches of the room. Raising the hem of her skirts, she walked forward, stopping just short of the young man and narrowing her eyes. "Who are you? I have no proof you are a Prince and only a Prince can marry my daughter. You have not given a name nor a Kingdom. In my haste to destroy you it seems I forgot to ask. Therefore you cannot take my daughter until I have proof of your royal bloodline."

Even if he is royal, this gives me enough time…she thought. 

The stranger's smile never fell. "Are you stalling, Empress? Or do you just wish to find a flaw in my success?"

She scowled. "I will not let you _touch_ her until I have a name, stranger."

"I do not wish to give it."

She wanted to scream. She would have cursed him had he not spoken again.

"Empress Sonomi, it seems you are reluctant to accept that you are to lose your daughter to me… and I can understand this. Therefore, I offer you a riddle of my own, if you wish to accept it. If you succeed, I will forfeit my life."

Gasps surrounded them, and fear returned to the crowd.

The Empress looked him in the eye. "Speak." He smiled secretively at her in return.

"I give you until dawn to learn my name."

o0o0o

Oooh… not long to go now. For those of you waiting for Tomoyo's perspective, you're in luck – the next chapter is entirely her, and the reason for her current state is explained. As for the riddles, I considered changing them, but then, I have never been too good at riddles, so I stuck to the original ones.

_Thank you to **cristal-shian** and **Chielle**. Alas, so few reviews! (raises hand to forehead dramatically) But to those who did, a box of cookies each. And another two for the road. (huggles)_


	4. Act III: Dawn

**Before Dawn **

Pandora-chan's retelling of the famous Opera, "Turandot", CCS style.

**Pairings:**ExT, one-sided K+E (mentions of Y+R, S+S, F+N)

**Contains: **Angst, romance, blatantly obvious pieces taken from the Opera, some OOCness.

Set in a pseudo-feudal Japan, because I am no expert on feudal Japan and undoubtedly have littered this fic with mistakes.

I apologise if this chapter is a bit choppy and fast-paced (but then, I just read through the entire story and the whole thing moves a bit faster than I intended). A lot of pieces have been cut from the final edit of this chapter, so hopefully it will still make sense. And hopefully you'll enjoy it, making it worth the wait!

**o0o0o**

**Act III: **_Dawn_

_**"Dimmi il mio nome, prima dell'alba! E all'alba morirò!"**_

She stood by the window, silent, watching as her mother's men hurried out of the palace, determined to search the city before dawn and fulfil their task. She almost smiled at the absurdness of all this, but she hadn't smiled since she was a child and wasn't sure if she could anymore.

Her empty eyes flickered briefly with some strange emotion.

Oh, if only her mother knew how easily this entire search could be ended. But the Empress was too caught up in issuing orders to pay attention to the daughter she might lose. The daughter who knew the identity of this stranger. The daughter who knew who to ask for his name.

Tomoyo-hime could have easily spoken her knowledge to her mother, but she didn't. She merely remained in her chamber, watching out her window in an almost doll-like fashion, listening to the song of the nightingale and smelling the warm scent of jasmine on the breeze.

And she said nothing.

**o0o**

"_Boy! Where did you come from? You're not allowed in the Palace grounds!"_

"_Yes I am!"_

"_Says who?"_

"_Tou-san! He is the gardener here. I help him sometimes."_

_The little princess folded her arms. "Even so, you were spying on me. I'm telling."_

"_Iie! Please don't!" the boy waved his arms frantically._

"_Why not?"_

"_Because I didn't mean to! I swear! I… I just…" looking at his feet, the boy went quiet._

"_Just what?" the little princess demanded._

"_I want a friend. Will you be my friend?"_

_The little princess considered him for a minute. "Why? Don't you have any?"_

"_Only tou-san's helper. But she is older and weirdly polite."_

"_Oh. I have friends, but none of them want to explore with me. If we are friends, will you explore with me?"_

"_Of course, hime! I know the best places!"_

_The princess clapped her hands, eyes alight. "Sugoi! This will be fun! Meet me here tomorrow and we'll explore!"_

"_Hai, hime!" the boy mock-bowed._

_The princess giggled, and turned to leave, but then paused. "Wait! I don't know your name!"_

_Chewing his lip, the boy shook his head. "Tou-san told me I'm not allowed to tell people what it is."_

_The little princess pouted. "Mou! Oh well, I shall just have to call you… Hekigan!"_

_The boy grinned. "Okay then, hime!"_

"_Ja ne, Hekigan!"_

"_Ja ne, hime!"_

**o0o**

"Tomoyo-hime?"

Blinking, Tomoyo shook herself out of the past and gazed out the window. He stood there in the garden below her window, staring up at her as she watched him. Something inside her fluttered, a feeling she had long forgotten. And as a wave of nostalgia threatened to overcome her, the voice of her mother's advisor rang out in the distance, and broke her out of her reverie.

A chill ran up her spine at his words.

_Tonight, on pain of death, no one sleeps until the riddle is solved._

A breath passed over her lips as she watched the smile on his face spread. And yet… his eyes remained sad as he watched her. _No one sleeps_, he mouthed to her.

And as she raised her eyes to the stars, she knew he walked away.

**o0o0o**

Yoshiyuki sighed and looked away from the moon. Around him, his Empress's men scurried back and forth, searching in desperation for the identity to this stranger who had nearly one their princess. The Empress herself was storming around the throne room yelling at her subjects, placing death threats on anyone who hesitated. He was not spared her wrath, but was merely escaping it for a moment. In actuality, he was supposed to be finding this stranger and dragging him back into the palace – he had wandered off at some stage and no one had seen where.

He knew what he would rather be doing, but also knew the impossibility of what he wanted. He was not blind to the Empress's hawk-like gaze, and he knew she had caught his concerned glance in the handmaiden's direction. Frowning, he clenched his fists. _Just let her be okay…_he prayed.

A voice sounded to his left, and he shifted his gaze in the direction, only to find that the one person he was searching for had been standing there all along. It didn't, however, escape his notice that the stranger stood below the princess's window, and whatever he had said, it was aimed at her. Yoshiyuki watched as the young man mouthed something, and smiled, before walking away.

He hurried after him.

**o0o0o**

Tomoyo removed her headpiece delicately, and placed it on the polished bench she knelt before. The candle beside her flickered as she continued to remove her ceremonial adornments, one by one. They weighed her down, and she had always preferred to be free of them – able to be herself, not the porcelain doll her mother made her out to be. Without them, she could more easily recall the times when she was able to run around freely, able to do as she pleased rather than do to please others. Times when she could dance and sing in the gardens, chase birds and climb statues… times when she had a true friend that she could rely on. Someone who taught her how to flip fish out of the stream, or to make daisy chains…

Someone who made her smile…

In the dim lamplight, she stared at her reflection in the glass and traced her fingers softly over her lips. _How does one forget how to smile?_ she mused, vainly trying to lift the corners of her mouth. But the key to smiling again, she knew for a fact, was happiness. She needed to be happy again… something she wasn't sure how to achieve.

Exhaling silently, she dropped her hand and looked to the stars again as they trembled in trepidation of the Prince's fate. _A Prince… he was a Prince all along… _she thought, and for a fleeting moment the memory of how to smile touched her consciousness before it left just as suddenly. The ghostly, elusive touch made her shiver. She bit her lip and hugged herself, the world around her falling into silence as her train of thought ended suddenly.

So quiet…

… and yet, there were voices outside her window, she realised with a start. Familiar voices in a hushed argument. Turning to the open window, she rose silently and approached it, wary of being caught listening in. Below her and a few paces north stood the Prince, accosted by her mother's advisor… Yoshiyuki – Rika's number one. Yes, she knew him well. But why were they arguing?

"… please! I must have it!

"I am sorry, Advisor, but I will not surrender my name. Especially not to a man who doesn't wish for it."

"Nani?"

"I see it in your eyes, Advisor. You only do your Empress's bidding, and for that I can not fault you. But you do not wish for me to relinquish to her wishes so. You would not see another dead. I saw it in your face tonight when the last suitor fell victim to the moon, and it was there again when I rang the gong. You try so hard to mask it, but it is failing you."

Tomoyo watched, mute, as the man's face fell and his eyes lowered to the ground. He whispered something she could not catch then, something that prompted the foreign Prince to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder and whisper a reply. After a few moments of silence the Advisor straightened up again and took a deep breath before speaking.

"The Empress commands you return to the throne room for the remainder of the night. Please follow me."

A nod of compliance, and the Prince moved to follow the Advisor as he turned and headed for the entrance. But before taking a step, the Prince paused and turned his head to look up behind him, and met Tomoyo's eyes with a soft smile. A gasp caught in her throat, and she watched him walk away, stunned that he had known she was there even with his back turned.

Turning from the scene, she pressed her back to the wooden frame and slid to the floor. And as she touched the tips of her fingers to her mouth again, she trembled as tendrils of emotion threatened to release themselves from the darkest corners of her mind…

_**"Il nome che cercate io sola so."**_

Her master slept by the dimming lantern flame, the blankets she had placed carefully over his form keeping him as warm and comfortable as possible without disturbing him. She did not want him to wake tonight, not until the morning. If she could have anything, she would have her master's son by his side, this madness just a strange dream in dark of the night. But that she could not have, and so she could only do her best to make it true while her master slept soundly.

She would bring his son to him alive and well, in this she was determined to succeed.

Taking another lantern, she rose from the hard floor and moved toward the door, quietly shutting it and not putting on her geta until she was out of hearing range. She walked towards the voices in the plaza, listening intently. Her concern turned to fear when she heard a crier's voice.

_Tonight, on pain of death, no one sleeps until the riddle is solved._

More death on the Empress's command? What riddle was this that held every citizen of this city under the knife? She barely heard the clatter of her geta on the paving stone as she hurried to the palace, her blood roaring in her ears and her heart in her throat. She stopped short of her destination to watch as the royal Advisor led her master's son in the doors. _He isn't dead! So what happened…_

Kaho spun on her heel and approached the nearest guard. And as he told her the proceedings of the previous hours, her heart ached and her blood ran cold and she knew what she had to do.

**o0o0o**

Sonomi glared at the secretive smile that danced across the stranger's face. She wasn't sure what bothered her more – his current success or his bizarre familiarity. But she would win, of that she was determined… even if it was less than an hour before dawn and barely a whisper had reached her.

She growled quietly in frustration.

But it was then her wishes were granted. A guard hurried in and bowed before her. "Your Imperial Majesty, hope has not deserted us! Just beyond the door I can present a woman who claims she can solve the riddle."

Sonomi rose immediately. "Bring her forth!"

All eyes were on the entrance, and Eriol's heart stopped for a moment as Kaho was led in. Her eyes met his briefly, but betrayed nothing as she was led before the Empress.

Sonomi looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Who are you, and what information can you produce?"

The young woman knelt before the dais before rising again. "I am Mizuki Kaho, and I work as a gardener for the palace grounds." She raised her eyes from the floor to meet the eyes of the Empress, and all were silent as she spoke again. "I _alone_ know his name."

Gasps filled the room, and Sonomi's face lit up. She turned triumphantly to the Prince beside her to see his despair, but was stunned to see none. His eyes were wide, that much was true, but not in misery… in a mix of slight shock and awe, as if something had just occurred to him. Annoyed but still filled with satisfaction, she returned her gaze to the servant below her.

"Speak then, woman, and tell me what it is."

Kaho gave a sad smile in return and shook her head. "I said only that I alone know it… I never said I would tell you."

Fury immediately took hold of the Empress, and with fire in her eyes she walked down the steps to stand before the red-haired woman. With narrowed eyes, she slapped her hard, knocking servant to the ground.

Turning back to the dais, she spoke loudly and clearly to the guard before her, her voice laced with malice.

"Torture it out of her."

**o0o0o**

Not too far away, blue eyes flew open.

**o0o0o**

The princess bit her lip as the first blow was struck. The commotion before her had her trembling, and she feared for the young woman – she knew her mother well, and the cruelty would easily bring about death. But this woman, she stayed strong, silent through the painful torture and yells and curses flung her way. In all desperation, she did not speak, not even utter a sound of anguish.

Tomoyo's heart clenched, and she covered her face as she retreated further into the shadowy doorway. She was safe there – well hidden and unseen.

But even with her eyes shielded from the horrible view, her ears could still hear. And no matter how hard she tried, she could not block the sounds. So when Sonomi spoke up again, fierce and infuriated, Tomoyo could not help but hear.

"Despite my fury at your disobedience, onna, I admit I am impressed by your endurance. But you cannot last the night out, of that I am sure. So tell me now your secret, or your execution shall be immediate."

Tomoyo's eyes flew open and back to the very sight she hid from. "No!" came her desperate whisper, but none heard her… save one.

Kaho looked into the eyes of the Empress in defiance. "Love," was her only reply.

Sonomi seethed in anger. "An unwise answer. Guards!"

Eriol stiffened. The crowd protested. Tomoyo swallowed a sob. And a guard moved forth, dagger in hand. With a deep breath, Kaho took one last look at Eriol and smiled sadly, then knocked the dagger from the guard's hand before the death blow was struck, snatching it from the ground and holding it to her breast. She stared into the eyes of the Empress as she spoke her last words before driving the dagger into her heart.

"_You cannot win_."

Tomoyo gasped audibly as it happened, her eyes wide. Screams echoed around the throne room. Eriol leapt to his feet but was forced back down by a guard before he moved towards the body, leaving the Prince alone.

The princess saw this, and couldn't help watch him as he stared in distress at the body of his friend. But he couldn't stare for long, turning away moments later in grief, his gaze turning aside. And the moment he noticed her and caught her gaze, pain tore through her as something inside broke. Clutching her chest in a silent scream, she turned and fled.

**o0o0o**

"Where **is** he!"

The chaos was heightening as the crowds tried to flee the palace and the guards were mixed in attending the body and searching for the missing Prince. Sonomi had spotted, in absolute rage, that the stranger had fled the moment he was unattended. What was worse, was the sky was lightening to the east. She was the picture of outrage, yet inside she was falling apart in the realisation that she was about to lose her daughter to this stranger.

About to lose her beautiful, only child, to a bewitching, charming foreign Prince who would take her far from her grasp … all in the name of love.

"_I can't let it happen_," she hissed, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists to fight the tears. "_Not again… never again_…"

And suddenly, the crowd was quiet and parted as a man entered the throne room. His voice echoed around her as she looked up.

"Empress Sonomi, it is time to end this madness!"

She stared at the dark man for a long moment before she recognised him. Her blood began to boil again, as she raised her arm and pointed at him in fury and absolute hate. "You!" she cried. "_YOU_! You're the one responsible for this mess, _you're _the one whose brother stole her away from me. And yet here you are, in _my_ kingdom, in _my _palace! How **_dare _**you return here without her!"

The crowd stared in stunned silence as their Empress advanced on the stranger. But he remained calm, composed. His common clothes could not hide his kingly presence, and he seemed to stand taller than anyone in the room… exuding more authority than even that of their own Empress. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was royalty.

He spoke again to Sonomi, his tone quieter, but still loud enough to be heard by all. "Nadeshiko is still alive, Sonomi, and she is happy…"

Gasps filled the room, and the Empress stopped dead in her tracks, paling. Clow began to approach her as he continued to speak. "She misses you, Sonomi…"

A tear rolled down Sonomi's cheek, and she trembled.

"She would not want this." A whisper.

Sonomi dropped her arm and collapsed.

**o0o0o**

She sat in the dim light, the candle nearby almost burnt out. But it did not matter. The Eastern horizon flickered with the light of dawn, beautiful dawn... She watched the sun rise slowly, its growing light mirroring the emerging warmth inside her. She tried once more to curve her lips in a smile, and found at last that the corners of her mouth were able to lift slightly.

Steps, steady and determined, sounded outside her room and stopped at her door. She heard the door open slowly, but she did not turn – not yet.

"Tomoyo-hime?" came the tentative voice, filling the silence of the room.

She turned and stood, facing him.

Eriol stared at her and drew a breath. Her hair fell around her loosely, soft and illuminated by the morning light. The dusky silk of her kimono captured the colour of the sky behind her, and echoed again in the lights of her eyes. Her pale skin glowed where the sun kissed it. She was a vision.

She was _his_…

He took a step to approach her, but her soft voice – the first time she had spoken since he had seen her again – halted him. "I know who you are."

He blinked.

She spoke again, her soft voice caressing him from across the room. "I've always known."

Eriol eyed her warily, before taking that first step into the room. "Then who am I, hime?"

Tomoyo's eyes closed momentarily before her gaze returned to his and she answered him. "You are the little boy from the garden – the one who used to listen to me sing, and who would dance with me when I snuck out at midnight. The boy who and showed me the fastest and easiest ways to hide. Did you really think I wouldn't recognise you?"

Smiling softly, he shook his head. "I was little disappointed when you didn't seem to, but then… who was I to know?"

She looked out the window at the sun, and watched the birds flutter past the window. He cautiously walked further into the room before he spoke again, stopping only a few feet from her this time. "Hime, if you knew, then why am I not dead?"

Tomoyo looked at him, ghosts of emotion in her eyes desperate for release. "I keep my promises. Even if they are ten years old and to a nameless little boy, I keep my promises."

"And I kept mine." A few steps closer.

"Yet I still do not know who you are."

A smile broke out across his face as he closed the gap between them, and then met her eyes before taking her head in his hands and leaning down and brushing his lips over hers. "I am yours," he murmured on her mouth, before their lips met again.

Her eyes fluttered closed as the passion grew, and Tomoyo fell willingly into the dizzying sensations that flooded her. And at that moment, she knew the answer to his riddle. Breathless, they drew apart a near minute later, but he remained holding her face, their foreheads touching.

And a smile emerged on Tomoyo's face as the sun broke over the distant hills, and she whispered softly to the retreating darkness.

"_**His name is Love…"**_

**o0o0o**

**o0o0o0o**

**o0o0o**

**_A/N:_ **Okay, YAY! I finally finished it! (dances) Thanks everyone for your reviews, and sticking by this for so long, even through my horrid internet drought and uninspired moments.

Apologies to **_StarWish_**, who quite rightly pointed out my mistake of not mentioning the composer of Turandot – Giacomo Puccini. Without him the world would be bereft of Nessun Dorma, Gods forbid. Mega hugs (and cookies) to **_funky-squirrel _**for her review – I'm getting people engrossed! Woohoo! Next stop, world domination, mwa ha ha… Erm, **_snowqueen_**? Duck! (throws plushie Keroberos at her head) And actually, Eriol with long hair was an idea I came across in someone else's fic, I just can't recall which one. Either way, I liked the idea and used it, so sue me. Personally I think that 1) it would suit him and 2) it makes sense for him to turn into his father a little after so many years apart from him. But thanks for the review anyway!

Special thanks to the rest of you to! _**Cristal-shian**, _thanks for criticism! Helps me learn! **_3musketteers_**, thanks for the flattery but no, I didn't make up the riddles, they are basically identical to the ones from the opera, as you shall soon find out. **_Arika-chan_**, **_Intuition_**, **_Gipsy-chan_**, **_Anicam_** (I know, fast paced! I'm not happy about it either!), **_crystal-roses13_**, **_White Alchemist Taya_** (whoa, calm down! Hee hee…), and anyone else I may have missed, thanks all so much! I really appreciate it. This fic was beginning to fester so it's good I finally got it out of the way.

Cookies for all, and now enjoy as I make fun of my own fic. (grin) Oh! And before I forget, I am doing a poster-of-sorts for this fic. Once finished, the FIRST person to see it will be the first person who clues in to this mysterious mother-to-Eriol. Good luck!

**o0o0o**

**Encore _(entirely optional)_**

"… and so upon the Prince's success, he decided it was only fitting that his impending wedding to the lovely Tomoyo-hime coincided with a reunion, of sorts. He arranged for the return of Nadeshiko and her husband Fujitaka, along with their children Touya and Sakura. Finally accepting her cousin's happiness, Empress Sonomi stepped down from the throne to allow Eriol and Tomoyo-hime to rule the kingdom. All lived happily ever after, and the gallot was burned."

There was silence, then…

"Ne, Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"Eriol," he corrected.

She ignored him and went on. "Since when did you fancy yourself with long hair?"

"Don't you think it would suit me, Tomoyo-chan?" he asked with a pout.

Scrunching her nose as she tried to picture it, Tomoyo frowned. "I'm not sure… I just thought you didn't _want _to be seen as Clow Reed."

Eriol shrugged.

"Eriol-san?"

"Yes?"

"From what I've heard, Madoushi was not cheeky, nor fun, nor bossy, so just who were you talking about?"

A wink. "If I told you, you might tell _her_, and I'd rather not remind her I exist."

Tomoyo raised her eyebrow, but Eriol just grinned.

"Eriol-san?"

"Yes?"

"Might I ask what Mizuki-san did do to deserve death?"


	5. Turandot

**Note from Pandora-chan:** This is, as you might have guessed, the sysnopsis I worked from. I confess here and now that I have never seen the Opera (please don't hold it against me!), but I fully intend to and once I have I've no doubt that _Before Dawn_ will change drastically. I did a decent amount of research while writing this fic on opinions and in-depth discussions of the story and its characters, and hopefully did a decent job.

**TURANDOT**

**Composer:** Giacomo Puccini

**ACT I.** Peking, legendary times. In a quarter swarming with people near the Forbidden City, a Mandarin reads an edict: any prince seeking to marry Princess Turandot must answer three riddles - and if he fails, he will die. Her latest suitor, the Prince of Persia, is to be executed at the rise of the moon. Bloodthirsty citizens urge the executioner on, and in the tumult a slave girl, Liù, calls out for help when her aged master is pushed to the ground. A handsome youth recognizes him as his long-lost father, Timur, vanquished king of Tartary. When the old man tells his son, Prince Calàf, that only Liù has remained faithful to him, the youth asks her why. She replies it is because once, long ago, Calàf smiled on her. The mob again cries for blood, but the moon emerges, and all fall into sudden, fearful silence. The doomed suitor passes on the way to execution, moving the onlookers to call upon Turandot to spare his life. Turandot appears and, with a contemptuous gesture, bids the execution proceed. The crowd hears a death cry in the distance. Calàf, smitten with the princess' beauty, determines to win her as his bride, striding to the gong that proclaims the arrival of a new suitor. Turandot's ministers Ping, Pang and Pong try to discourage the youth, their warnings supplemented by the entreaties of Timur and the tearful Liù. Despite their pleas, Calàf strikes the fatal gong and calls out Turandot's name.

**ACT II.** In their quarters, Ping, Pang and Pong lament Turandot's bloody reign, praying that love will conquer her icy heart so peace can return. As the populace gathers to hear Turandot question the new challenger, the ministers are called back to harsh reality.

The aged Emperor Altoum, seated on a high throne in the Imperial Palace, asks Calàf to give up his quest, but in vain. Turandot enters and tells the story of her ancestor Princess Lou-Ling, brutally slain by a conquering prince; in revenge Turandot has turned against all men, determining that none shall ever possess her. She poses her first question: what is born each night and dies each dawn? "Hope," Calàf answers correctly. Unnerved, Turandot continues: what flickers red and warm like a flame, yet is not fire? "Blood," replies Calàf after a moment's pause. Shaken, Turandot delivers her third riddle: what is like ice but burns? (_P-chan says: also interpreted as "What is the ice that sets you on fire?" but I find the former more appropriate for my version) _A tense silence prevails until Calàf triumphantly cries "Turandot!" While the crowd gives thanks, the princess begs her father not to abandon her to a stranger, but to no avail. Calàf generously offers Turandot a riddle of his own: if she can learn his name by dawn, he will forfeit his life.

**ACT III.** In a palace garden, Calàf hears a proclamation: on pain of death, no one in Peking shall sleep until Turandot learns the stranger's name. The prince muses on his impending joy; but Ping, Pang and Pong try unsuccessfully to bribe him to withdraw. As the fearful mob threatens Calàf with drawn daggers to learn his name, soldiers drag in Liù and Timur. Horrified, Calàf tries to convince the mob that neither knows his secret. When Turandot appears, commanding the dazed Timur to speak, Liù cries out that she alone knows the stranger's identity. Though tortured, she remains silent. Impressed by such endurance, Turandot asks Liù's secret; "Love," the girl replies. When the princess signals the soldiers to intensify the torture, Liù snatches a dagger from one of them and kills herself. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow her body as it is carried away. Turandot remains alone to confront Calàf, who at length takes her in his arms, forcing her to kiss him. Knowing physical passion for the first time, Turandot weeps. The prince, now sure of his victory, tells her his name.

As the people hail the emperor, Turandot approaches his throne, announcing that the stranger's name is - Love.

(by John W. Freeman -- courtesy of Opera News)


End file.
